Page 138 of Lady Killer

It wasn’t Alister.

UNKNOWN stared up at me from the screen.

My heart picked up again.

BUZZ.

Taking a deep breath, I swallowed.

Could it be a wrong number? Absolutely.

Was it? I doubted it.

Squeezing my eyes shut for a split second, I took one more deep breath, silently urging myself to keep my wits about me.

Glancing down, I hit Accept before returning my attention to the peephole.

“Hello???” I said groggily.

“Hello, Penelope.”

My throat narrowed as my heart started to race again. I kept looking out the peephole.

“I’m sorry. I think you have the wrong number,” I mumbled.

The person on the other end laughed. Their voice was distorted, giving it a synthetic quality that felt wrong to my ears.

“I’m . . . I’m going to hang up now,” I said, not entirely faking the light tremor in my voice.

The laughter ceased. “Do it and she’s dead.”

In through your nose. Out through your mouth.

The killer wanted me to be distracted. I had to stay focused.

“Who?”

“Don’t play dumb, Penelope, it doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m not sure what you—‍”

“How many times do you think she can die before her mind breaks?”

My heart stopped.

“Do you know, they’ve all broken. So quickly too.”

“I don’t know what—?”

“DON’T FUCKING LIE TO ME, PENELOPE!” the voice roared, forcing me to pull the phone from my ear.

“I’m . . . I’m sorry.”

They are weakest when they think you are broken, mija.

Heavy, distorted breathing followed my silence before a throat cleared. “I thought we could make this fun, Penelope. But first, I want you to thank me for your gifts.”

My throat burned with the taste of bile.

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